An automated process for preparing and amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence within a stand-alone unit.

Automated process for isolating and amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence

The present invention relates to an automated analyzer (50) for use in performing a nucleic acid-based assay, the analyzer (50) comprising within a housing (60): a magnet moving structure (810) for subjecting a sample to a magnetic field, wherein the magnet moving structure (810) carries a plurality of magnets (814); an aspirator tube (860) for aspirating a fluid component of the sample while the sample s subjected to the magnetic field of the magnet moving structure (810); an amplification incubator (604) comprising a housing (610) including a receptacle access opening (614) that is sized for moving a reaction receptacle (162) into or out of the amplification incubator (604), wherein the reaction receptacle (162) is suspected of containing a target nucleic acid separated from the fluid component of the sample; and a detection device (950) for detecting a light signal associated with an amplification product formed in the amplification incubator (604), the amplification product being indicative of the presence of the target nucleic acid in the sample.

Automated diagnostic analyzer and method

Signal measuring system for conducting real-time amplification assays

Provided is an automatic analysis device provided with a scattering optical system which enables a reduction in a reaction solution required for analysis by installing a light source at an angle with respect to a plane of a reaction container and enables a reduction in the running cost of a reagent, and a relatively free design with respect to the size and shape of the reaction container. An automatic analysis device is provided with a reaction container in which a sample and a reagent react with each other, a reaction disk in which the reaction containers are disposed in a line on the circumference thereof, a reaction disk rotation mechanism which rotates the reaction disk, a light source which irradiates the reaction container with measurement light, and a detector which detects light emitted from the light source and transmitted through a reaction solution in the reaction container, the automatic analysis device being provided with an optical system which causes the light from the light source to be incident on the reaction container at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane of the reaction container.

Automatic analysis device

An assembly comprising: a first ring assembly constructed and arranged to be rotatable about a first axis of rotation, said first ring assembly including an annular fluid container carrier portion having an inner periphery and an outer periphery between which said fluid container carrier portion is defined, said fluid container carrier portion being constructed and arranged to carry a plurality of fluid containers; and a second ring assembly constructed and arranged to be rotatable independent of said first ring assembly about a second axis of rotation that is generally parallel to said first axis of rotation, said second ring assembly being positioned with respect to said first ring assembly so that at least a portion of an outer perimeter of said second ring assembly is disposed radially inwardly of said inner periphery of said fluid container carrier portion of said first ring assembly, said second ring assembly being constructed and arranged to carry a plurality of pipette tips thereon.

Multiple ring assembly for providing specimen to reaction receptacles within an automated analyzer

There is disclosed an automatic biochemical analyzer having a sample turntable and a reaction turntable. Plural sample containers for holding samples are arrayed on the sample turntable. Plural reaction containers are arrayed on the reaction turntable. A sampling pipette draws in a sample from some sampling container and injects the sample into some reaction container. A reagent pipette draws in some reagent from some reagent container and injects the reagent into the same reaction container. The resulting mixture is stirred by a stirring device. Produced reaction products are detected by a detector. Let N be the number of the reaction containers on the reaction turntable. The reaction turntable is rotated in M pitches in one step. Note that M and N do not have any common factor. First and second injecting positions adjacent to each other are established as positions where the reagent pipette can inject a reagent into the reaction container in position. First and second stirring positions adjacent to each other are established as positions where the stirring device can stir liquids in the reaction container in position. The stirring device can be moved between the first and second stirring positions. Thus, one reagent pipette can be used for two kinds of reagents. Also, one stirring device can be used for two kinds of reagents.

Automatic biochemical analyzer

PURPOSE: To reduce the quantity of a reagent to be used by adopting the total of a dilution container on a dilution table and the number which does not have a common factor as one step and performing the step feed of the dilution table to clear a limit volume and reduce the quantity of a sample. CONSTITUTION: An instrument for biochemical automatic analysis comprises a reagent table 1, a dilution table 2, a plurality of first and second reagent tables 3, 4 and a reaction table 5. A sample inside a sample container 11 is sucked by a dilution pipette 12 and thrown up on a dilution container 21 and diluted. The dilution sample is sucked by a sample pipette 22 and brought in a reaction unit 51 of the reaction table 5. In the reaction unit 51, a first and a second reagents sampled by reagent pipettes 32, 42 are supplied from reagent tubes 31, 41, and absorbance and the like are measured in a detector 52 to detect reaction. In the table 2, the total number of the container 21 disposed on the circumference of the dilution table and the number which does not have a common factor are adopted as the number of step feed, and the step feed of the table 2 is performed.

Instrument for biochemical automatic analysis

There is disclosed a pipette-washing device for use with an automatic biochemical analyzer. The pipette-washing device includes a wash fluid-ejecting block for ejecting a wash fluid toward pipette. An upwardly spreading groove is formed in the top surface of the body of the block and extends along the trajectory of the front end of the pipette. The groove is connected at its lower end with the vertical wash fluid channel. A lateral draining channel is formed in the body of the block and connected with the lower end of the vertical wash fluid channel. When the pipette moves, the front end of the pipette moves through the groove. The block is inclined at an angle to the vertical within a plane in which the groove extends.

Pipette-washing device for automatic biochemical analyzer

PURPOSE:To make the optimum arrangement of device units easier and to improve the degree of freedom in setting photometric time by establishing a specific relation between the number of reaction tubes and the number of reaction tubes to be moved in one cycle. CONSTITUTION:Reaction tubes (a)-(o) are set on an annular sample holder 1 placed on a turntable and the turntable 4 is turned clockwise by four pitches in one cycle. During the stopping time in each cycle, a sample dispensing device 10 dispenses samples in reaction the tubes and a first and second reagent dispensing devices 11 and 12 respectively pour a first and second reagents in the reaction tubes, and then, the reaction tubes from which photometric data have been obtained are washed with a washing device 13. In this biological automatic analysis device, the optimum arrangement of device units can be made easier and the degree of freedom in setting the photometric time of the reaction tubes can be improved by improving the degree of freedom in device constitution by establishing a relation, N+ or -1=AXM (where, A is an integer of >=2), or another relation M<N/2, with no common factor other than '1' existing between N and M, between the number N of reaction tubes and the number M of reaction tubes to be moved in one analysis cycle.

Automatic biochemical analysis device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect many different samples in a predetermined time by setting the time of stirring work as short as possible thereby shortening the time required for detecting reaction of sample. SOLUTION: When a reaction case 11 containing a sample to be stirred arrives at a stirring position, a stirring rod 40 enters into the reaction case 11. Subsequently, a cam disc 32 is turned through driving of a motor for back/ forth motion and the rotation of the cam disc 32 is converted through a rotation/straight advance conversion cam mechanism 32, 33, 36a into a straight reciprocal motion of a second motor supporting bracket 36. Consequently, the stirring rod 40 reciprocates in the reaction case 11. At the same time, the stirring rod 40 performs rotational motion in the reaction case 11 through driving of a motor 37 for rotational motion. Since the stirring rod 40 performs straight reciprocal motion and rotational motion simultaneously in the reaction case 11, sample and reagant are stirred efficiently. Consequently, sample and reagent are stirred quickly and uniformly and the stirring time is shortened significantly.

Akio Kimura

Papers

Automatic biochemical analyzer

Instrument for biochemical automatic analysis

Pipette-washing device for automatic biochemical analyzer

Automatic biochemical analysis device

Stirrer in automatic biochemical analyzer